No credible opposition candidate was allowed to stand in the vote which could see Putin in power until 2030.
Summary
- Vladimir Putin wins a fifth term as Russian president by a landslide of 87%, according to Russian exit polls
- He faced no credible opposition candidate as the Kremlin tightly controls Russia’s political system, media and elections
- Germany called it a “pseudo-election”, while the US said the vote was “obviously not free nor fair”
- Ukraine’s President Zelensky said Putin was “drunk with power and is doing everything to rule forever”
- In a post-election news conference, Putin vowed to press on with the invasion of Ukraine
- He also said Russian democracy was more legitimate than in the US, where “with mail-in voting… you can buy a vote for $10”
- Voting took place in the Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine: Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea. Overall, turnout was 77%
Source: Russian election latest: Putin claims landslide win as West condemns ‘pseudo-election’ – BBC News
